


Gemini Day

by pissjesus



Series: Gorillaz One-shots [1]
Category: Gorillaz
Genre: Family, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, One Shot, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:34:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26162749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pissjesus/pseuds/pissjesus
Summary: Though Murdoc and Russel feel like they're too old for birthdays, it's important to Noodle that they have some sort of celebration. Thus, the first Saturday in June has been dubbed "Gemini Day." Now she has to figure out what to get the lads who insist they don't want anything.
Series: Gorillaz One-shots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1899880
Comments: 1
Kudos: 46





	Gemini Day

There’s not much of a point celebrating three consecutive birthdays of three fossils, especially when 66% of them don’t want to be celebrated (2D doesn’t mind indulging in attention once a year). But it’s important to Noodle that they have a party of some sort, and thus they compromised: “Gemini Day” is the first Saturday in June.

“I don’t want anything for my birthday, sweetheart, spending it with you is enough,” Russell says as Noodle leans over his shoulder, watching him gingerly sew the pelt of a squirrel onto its respective taxidermy base. 

“You know I’m not taking that as an answer,” she says, drumming on his bald head. It doesn’t remotely disrupt him.

“Well, I can’t think of anything I need.”

“Not what you  _ need _ , what you  _ want _ , this is your opportunity to get something that’s too stupid to spend your own money on.”

“Then I can’t think of anything I want.”

Noodle sighs dramatically.

“Don’t worry about me,” Rusell says. He puts down his tools and moves Noodle’s hands off his head.

“But if I don’t get you a present, I’ll die,” Noodle says.

“No, you won’t.”

“Yes, I will,” and as if to prove her point, she sprawls out on the floor and closes her eyes, letting her tongue loll out of her mouth.

“The floor is dirty.”

“No, it’s not, it’s your floor. You could eat off of it.”

“I thought you were dead.”

“I am,” Noodle crosses her hands over her chest and lays in mock rigor mortis.

“Alright, if I think of anything I want, I’ll let you know. And if I don’t, you can surprise me.” Russell turns his chair around and Noodle opens one eye to look at him. He holds out his hands to help her up and he pulls her to her feet. “Why don’t you go interrogate 2D about what he wants?”

“2D is easy, I’ve had his present for months.”

“Another Furby?”

“Even better,” Noodle says. “Okay, I’ll leave you to play with your squirrel carcass,” she plants a kiss on his head and scampers off.

“Remind Murdoc that it’s his turn to take the trash out,” Russell calls after her. He turns back to his work, readjusts his glasses, and wonders what he could want more than spending the day with his favorite guitarist.

Noodle doesn’t get very far before finding 2D as he bolts down the hallway, nearly mowing her out of the way. His limbs scramble ahead of each other like they’re all trying to take the lead at once. Murdoc appears around the corner, stumbling after him in hot pursuit and giggling like a child. Up to no good, but at least he’s in a good mood.

“No! No birthday punches!”

“I didn’t get to give them to you last week!”

“Oooauu!!!!” 2D trips turning a corner and thumps to the floor. Murdoc pounces on him before he can skitter away.

“How many this year? 42?”

“Nooooo!”

Noodle pulls Murdoc off of 2D by his shirt collar. “Take it easy, you geriatric bitch, you’ll break each other.”

“I wasn’t gonna do it hard!” Murdoc says. He and 2D get back up, Murdoc with a grunt. He puts his arm around 2D’s shoulders. “I was just having a laugh with the lad.”

“He’s ‘bein an absolute terror today,” 2D says. “Take him on a walk or somefink so he’ll stop ‘pesterin me for attention.”

“I’m not looking for your attention!”

“Come on, gramps, we need to get party supplies.” Noodle takes Murdoc by his arm.

“I’m coming back for your birthday punches!” Murdoc says over his shoulder as Noodle leads him away.

* * *

“Hey, ‘Doc,” Noodle says. Murdoc turns his attention away from the plastic party favors. Noodle taps a cane against the linoleum floor and it produces a comedic squeak. Attached to the cane is a bike horn and a sign that reads “Senior Citizen Crossing!”

“How cheeky,” Murdoc says. He takes the plastic cane from her and looks it over. “What are you even supposed to do with this piece of rubbish after the day’s over?”

“You carry it around to get people out of your way, obviously.” 

“I can do that just fine with a regular cane, or an umbrella--”

“Or your smell.”

“Is this how you’re gonna talk to me? On  _ my _ birthday?” He tosses the cane back to her.

“You want me to get it for you?” Noodle asks.

“I don’t want anything, especially not that thing.” Murdoc points a pointy fingernail at the cane.

“Russell said the same thing earlier.”

“Probably cos it’s a stupid gift.”

“No, I mean in general.” Noodle says. “I have no idea what to get him.”

“Then don’t get him anything, spend the money on another silly toy for 2D.” Murdoc picks up a Barbie pinata. “Can I get this, actually? This looks like it’ll be fun to beat up. We could fill it with cigarettes or something.”

“But I’d feel bad. I don’t wanna get something for you and 2D but not Russell, especially when he’s always been so giving to me.”

“I said don’t get me anything!”

“I thought you wanted the pinata.”

“It’s a group activity.”

Noodle puts the pinata in the cart. She props her feet up on the cart and pushes off, rolling past Murdoc. “Do you think he could use some sort of tools for his taxidermy?”

“I could scrape up a possum for him.” Murdoc picks up a feather boa and flings it around his shoulders. Noodle scrunches her nose. Ignoring his suggestion, she runs her hand along the bags of confetti as she rides the cart down the aisle.

“He already has a lot of records, I don’t wanna get him one he already has.”

“I promise he wouldn’t be offended if you didn’t get him something. I don’t think any of us would even realize if our birthdays came and went if it weren’t for you insisting on a party.” As he follows Noodle down the aisle, he adds a pair of dollar-sign sunglasses and a sparkly top hat to his ensemble. Noodle throws a package of blue streamers into the cart.

“That’s why I do it!” She says.

“I don’t think any of us have ever gotten each other anything. If we did it’s because you were the one who picked it out and begged for one of us to get it. That’s probably why 2D’s shelves are full of stupid shit.”

“Cuz I like you guys!” Noodle says. “Even if you  _ are _ mean, crusty, old, stinky--”

“On  _ my _ birthday?” Murdoc puts his hand to his chest, imitating insult.

“Stinky never takes a vacation.” Noodle knocks the hat off his head.

“Hey! Come over here!” Murdoc grabs for Noodle’s shirt as she dodges out of reach, giggling. “Oi!  _ Diablito _ !” 

Noodle gets into a fighting stance and throws fake punches at him. Murdoc retaliates with light, open palm slaps. They swat each other back and forth street-fighter style until some unfortunate, underpaid employee gives them an annoyed look. They stop and move on to the next aisle like two kids caught misbehaving.

“You like me?” Murdoc says smugly.

“You’re alright when you’re in a good mood.” She slaps his arm. “Jolly Green Manlet.”

“When am I not in a good mood?” Noodle spins around with a raised eyebrow before he even finishes the question.

“If bad moods were socks, you wear yours until they’re barely holding onto your feet.”

Murdoc shoves his hands into his pockets and puts on a scowl like it's one of the plastic masquerade masks lining the shelves. “I’m a ray of bloody sunshine.”

“You’d be a real ray of bloody sunshine if you helped me figure out what to get Russell.”

“Sweet Satan, you’re still on that? You can’t find something else to chatter on about?”

“I have two days!”

“He’s not going to care, I swear on my inverted cross,” Murdoc says.

“But I do,” Noodle says. She runs the boa still around Murdoc’s shoulders through her fingers. “Do you want the boa?”

Murdoc throws the boa onto a random shelf like it’s suddenly turned into a snake. “No, I said don’t get me anything!”

Noodle puts up her hands. “Alright Mr. Niccals, I hear you, I won’t get you nothing.”

“And don’t accuse me of being in a good mood again, you’ll muck up my image.”

* * *

2D clasps his hands to his face and gasps as he tears open the paper. “Is this--”

Noodle smiles. Murdoc leans over to look as he crushes his cigarette into the ashtray in the middle of the table. His face curls. “Christ, it’s bad enough seeing those little devils as they are, now it’s-”

“Long Furby!” 2D pushes the paper to the floor, and Russell swiftly scoops it into a trash bag. 2D holds up his new Furby like a Communion chalice. Unlike its stumpy brethren, this Furby must be two feet long, but with the same empty, half-closed eyes.

“I had him commissioned just for you, his name is Hot Sauce,” Noodle says, grinning.

“Hot Sauce!” 2D parrots.

Murdoc rolls his eyes. “Please tell me this one also doesn’t--”

“ _ Wroooooooow!” _ Hot Sauce coos, blinking with a robotic  _ whirr _ .

“Tell me this absolute lad doesn’t spark joy!” 2D says, thrusting Hot Sauce at Murdoc. Murdoc side-eyes him.

“Chuffed.”

“Is it cos you didn’t get anyfink?” 2D says.

“He said he didn’t want anything.” Noodle says. Murdoc slumps in his chair and crosses his arms. “But I know him well enough to know he’d be miffed if he didn’t actually get anything.” Noodle presents a box from under her seat and slides it across the table at Murdoc. He stops pouting and sits up. He quickly remembers he’s supposed to be brooding and wipes the excitement off his face.

“Probably something like a carton of cigarettes or condoms or some other rubbish,” Murdoc says. He takes the top off the box and suddenly drops his attitude.

“What is it?” Russell asks.

Murdoc pulls out a stuffed animal, a dual-headed chimera of a bear and a rabbit, with extra eyes sewn into its torso, four plastic baby-doll arms sticking out from its sides, and a pentagram gored into its back.

“Christ,” Russell says. “Sorry I asked.”

Murdoc holds the chimera with two hands and looks into its numerous eyes. “It’s so fucked up. I never knew how much I needed this little bastard until right now.”

Noodle grins with satisfaction. “You’re welcome.”

Murdoc puts his scowl back on. “Well, the cigarettes and condoms would have been of more use to me.” Nonetheless, he sits the toy in his lap, mirroring the way 2D cradles his new Furby.

Noodle looks guiltily at Russell. “Hey, Russ, I--”

“Here.” Murdoc slides something flat and rectangular across the table, knocking over two empty Solo cups. Russell cocks his head at it, picks it up, thumbs at the shoddy wrapping job. He unwraps it, albeit with more restraint than 2D. When he unearths it from the brown paper, he smiles. Noodle looks over at it, and 2D gets up to participate.

“Where’d you find this?” Russell asks.

Murdoc inspects his nails like they might hold something of more interest. “Found it in some trunk in my Winnebago the other night when I was cleaning out some shit I haven’t touched in ages. Figured you might like it. Even found a twee little frame for it.”

Russell turns the frame to give 2D and Noodle a better look. Behind the glass is a rumpled crayon drawing on yellowed paper: Four stick-and-bubble figures with whacky-proportioned instruments. In chunky, child-lettering at the top:  _ Russell, Murdoc, 2D, Noodle; 2000, _ scrawled in the bottom corner.

“I can’t believe you still had this,” Russell says sweetly.

“Probably just escaped me a while ago,” Murdoc says, shrugging. “It’s Noodle’s gift, not mine.

Russell wraps an arm around Noodle and pulls her into a hug. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

2D joins in, draping his available arm over Noodle’s shoulders, the other firmly holding Hot Sauce against his hip. He motions for Murdoc to join. Murdoc sneers.

“What, you think just because I found a drawing in my trunk, I wanna participate in that gay shit?”

“Just come here, shithead,” Noodle says.

Murdoc begrudgingly gets up and walks over. Noodle yanks him into the group hug and he grunts in protest.

“S’not even a good drawing. Doesn’t look like me at all.”

**Author's Note:**

> -It's my fic and I get to woobify the Old Man  
> -This is one of my favorite chapters I've written  
> -I also have an original comic called Plan Z and you can read it here https://sammijlewis66.wixsite.com/planz


End file.
